1872. The Civil War was over. The Homestead Act was ten years old. Ulysses S. Grant of Illinois was President. The Chicago Fire was last year's news. Natural gas was used for light and power when it was available. The Transcontinental Railroad was completed. Papal infallibility had been proclaimed two years ago by the Vatican Council. Aaron Montgomery Ward began a mail-order business in Chicago with a one-page, 167-item sheet. Chicago's Apollo Club was founded by Silas G. Pratt and George P. Upton, the Tribune's first music critic; it is known today as the Apollo Chorus and was considered to be the nation's leading chorus. The Chicago Public Library was created and Northwestern University was 19 years old. The town of Evanston was nine years old. Its boundaries were Crain Street on the south, Wesley Street on the west and Lake Michigan in the east. In this year it extended its northern boundary to the present boundary and incorporated as a village containing two Methodist churches, two Baptist churches, an Episcopal Church, a Roman Catholic church, a Congregational church and a Presbyterian church. The pier at Dempster Street (also called Foster pier) handled freight and commuter traffic. A railroad also served the community, whose population had been counted as 3200 in 1990 at which time the Chicago population was 367,396. There were no telephones, no automobiles, no radios, no Lutheran churches. But there were German immigrants of faith who wished to worship God in their own language. These men met in each other's homes and prayerfully decided to start a Lutheran congregation. The German Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Missouri, Ohio, and Other States was 25 years old. The Evanston group contacted the well- known Rev. Heinrich Wunder of St. Paul's in Chicago about getting a minister to conduct services. They were referred to Rev. August Reinke of Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Chicago, who came to Evanston on Sunday evenings to conduct services. The men who, with their families, made up the church at that time were: Henry Witt, John Rubo, Henry Voigts, Joachim Witt, John Witt, Peter Clausen, Rudolph Leser, Fred Strokirgen, Wm. Rand, Henry Dose, Jacob Weyler, Hans Albrech, John Dose, Henry Mueller, John Doll, John Plath, Reimer Dittmer, Charles Tienker, Fred Witt, Fred Lass. Henry Joachim Carl Rubo was the first baptism of the new congregation on June 16, 1872. Pastor Reinke's duties in Chicago prevented him from giving the Evanston congregation as much time as they desired, so the congregation asked Pastor Reinke to contact Pastor Gotthilf Loeber of Niles to minister to them.
1873. Widespread bank failures set off a five year Depression in America. Women demonstrated for suffrage at the centennial of the Boston Tea Party. The penny postcard made its debut. E. Remington began to make typewriters. In Evanston, a third Methodist church was organized and Gross Point Lighthouse was built to prevent accidents off the bluff that French voyagers had called "Beauty's Eyebrow." A Northwestern student rescue squad operated the lighthouse until 1916 when it was taken over by the U. S. Coast Guard. The Evanston Lutheran congregation decided that Pastor Loeber's duties at his primary congregation in Niles necessitated his being away from Evanston too much of the time, so they asked Pastor Reinke to find another part-time pastor for them.
1874. Germany was unified into an empire. Custer invadeed Black Hills area in violation of 1808 treaty. Concordia Theological Seminary in Springfield, Illinois, was dedicated. In Evanston, a fourth Methodist Church was established for Swedish immigrants. Evanston annexed North Evanston. The Evanston Water Works provided residents with water from Lake Michigan instead of from wells and cisterns with the first water treatment plant on the lake. The Women's Christian Temperance Union was formed in Evanston. The Evanston Board of Health formed and the village created a volunteer fire department. Pastor Ed. Doering of the Glencoe congregation was asked to conduct services for the Evanston Lutheran congregation. At the end of the year, he agreed to do so. An old Treasurer's book listed the names of 38 persons who contributed $10.31 for a Christmas tree.
1875. The U. S. Civil Rights Act was passed, giving equal rights to African Americans in public accommodations and jury duty. Thomas Edison invented the mimeograph. Gustavus Swift moved to Chicago and his engineers perfect refrigerated railway cars which enabled Chicago beef and pork to supply America. Chicago had 176 restaurants. Pastor Doering's first sermon in Evanston was preached at the beginning of the year. Martin Becker and Liese Reifschneider were the first couple married at Bethlehem, on January 3 by Pastor Doering. Four people were confirmed on May 23: Ruecke Schulz, Karoline Mueller, Laura Lutz and Elisabeth Hartig. On August 8, a regular constitution was signed by 42 men, nine of whom were among the original members. Those signing were: Edward Doehring, Pastor; A. Handtke, Joachim Witt, Henry Voigts, Peter Clausen, F. Heisse, Fred Witt, Sr., Martin Becker, Chris. Tienker, John Witt, Fred Becker, L. Radtke, Branden, G. Curg, Henry Witt, Sr., A. Gensch, Ludwig Radtke, Wm. Boelke, Wm. Mueller, Wm. Suhr, H. F. Witt, Jr., Wm. Randt, J. Moil, Fred Lass, H. Rueckert, J. Rueckert, J. Dahl, C. Prohl, L. Weisskopf, J. Forbeck, Hy. Schuette, G. Glasser, Fred Witt, C. Lass, F. Weiss, J. Steif, C. Suhr, Wm. Hinze, Chas Eppeling, L. Beck, Fred H. Witt, Chas Henning. Eleven of the original members did not sign the constitution. The constitution specified that the name of the congregation should be "Deutsche evangelische lutheranische Bethlehems Gemeinde" and that amendments to the article specifying that name "can and must never be undertakenþ established foreverþ" Another article of this first constitution specified [translated] "The language of divine service is and shall remain at all times German." The constitution further stated that a person could become a member "only (1) if baptized, (2) if professing God's Word and the Evangelical Lutheran doctrine, (3) if not living in open sin (Galatians 5:14-23), and (4) if submitting to parish ordinances insofar as these are not against God's Word and allowing oneself to be reprimanded in brotherly love when in the wrong."
1876. The United States celebrated its centennial. Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone. England's Queen Victoria was proclaimed Empress of India. Sioux and Cheyenne were victorious at the Battle of the Little Big Horn, resulting in death for Custer and 265 troops. Friedrich C.D. Wyneken, pastor of St. Paul, Fort Wayne, and Trinity, St. Louis, circuit rider in Ohio, Michigan and Indiana, and the second president of the LCMS (1850-1864), died. Wyneken's Notruf (distress call) was instrumental in bringing dozens of pastors from Germany to do mission work in the United States. A second Episcopal Church was started in Evanston. Centennial Fountain, now known as Fountain Square, was dedicated on July 4. The congregational minutes of Bethlehem in Evanston, dated January 6 and signed by Martin Becker, secretary, noted that the meeting was held in the home of Joachim Witt at whose home Sunday services were also held. After the business was transacted, which consisted of reading the Treasurer's report, resolution to buy a Bible for the altar, and have the Constitution printed, Pastor Doehring read from the Synodical Report of the N.W. District an essay on the Office of the Keys. The Secretary noted that this lasted 1 1/4 hours. The first funeral of the new congregation was for Justine Brandenburg who died on February 12. On May 21st the congregation discussed the building of a new church and decided to, "see whether we are able to bring up the necessary money." The Oct. 15th meeting was already held in the new church on Florence Avenue between Greenwood and Lake Streets! The location was at that time outside of the city limits of Evanston. Pastor August Reinke delivered the sermon and performed the dedicatory ceremony.
1877. The phonograph was invented by both Charles Cros in France and Thomas Edison in the U. S. Federal troops withdrawn from the South, ending Reconstruction. Federal troops called out because of widespread railroad strikes. Chicago's Palmer House menu offered venison steak with currant jelly, breaded turkey wings with green peas, macaroni with cheese, stewed tomatoes, boiled potatoes, boiled rice and fried parsnips. Hamburger Steak first appeared as "Steak Hambourgeoise" at Chicago's Tremont Hotel. In Evanston, the Lutheran congregation's voters discussed arrangements for the establishment of a Christian day-school. A committee was appointed to obtain information about a suitable schoolroom on Davis Street. The Pastor's salary was raised from $16 to $20 a month, and voting members absent without a good excuse from the voter's meetings were to pay a fine of 50 cents.
1878. The cathode ray tube (CRT) was invented by Crookes, an English chemist. Telephone directories were issued for the first time. At Bethlehem, the fine for missing voter's meetings was reduced to 25 cents. All minutes were written in German in these years. However in March the first English appeared: "Meeting Adjourned". The average attendance was about 15. The church was insured for a premium of $8.
1879. Thomas A. Edison invented the electric light bulb. The Zulu war resulted in defeat of the Zulus by England in South Africa. John Stuart, founder of Quaker Oats Milling Co. in Ravenna, Ohio, moved his milling operations to 16th Street in Chicago under the name Imperial Mills. A group of Chicago businessmen incorporated the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts as a non-profit institution; the academy would become the Art Institute of Chicago on December 23, 1882. Lutherans organized the Women's Home and Foreign Missionary Society. At Bethlehem in Evanston, the voters resolved to have a Sunday School and Mr. A. P. Handtke was appointed Superintendent.
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